Director of Service Planning Quality & Systems Integration

The Arc Mercer; Princeton (NJ); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

The Arc Mercer seeks a Director of Service Planning Quality & Systems Integration to lead the organization’s strategy for cohesive service planning, goal development, and documentation standards across Residential, Day, and Employment services.

You will build frameworks, ensure accurate data-informed decision making, and strengthen system structures for high-quality planning and outcome measurement, with an emphasis on regulatory readiness and cross-functional collaboration.

Qualifications

• Deep understanding of person-centered planning and goal development.
• Experience with outcome measurement, data analysis, and quality systems.
• Strong knowledge of documentation platforms and system implementation.
• Ability to coordinate complex, multi-step workflows across diverse teams.
• Exceptional organizational, communication, and leadership skills.
• High attention to detail and commitment to regulatory compliance.

Responsibilities

• Lead the agency’s committee responsible for goal development practices.
• Define expectations for goal clarity, measurability, and alignment with assessed needs.
• Ensure interdisciplinary teams follow consistent processes when developing or revising goals.
• Review goal quality and ensure goals remain relevant to each person’s desired outcomes.
• Maintain a unified planning calendar covering all service areas.
• Track annual and interim deadlines and ensure preparation begins proactively.
• Coordinate with clinical, behavioral, and program staff to ensure timely completion of assessments, reports, and draft goals.
• Confirm that all materials are accurate, complete, and ready for planning meetings.
• Oversee systems that track progress toward individual goals.
• Analyze outcome data to identify trends, strengths, and areas needing improvement.
• Recommend or direct goal revisions when progress data indicates limited effectiveness.
• Produce outcome reports that support leadership decision-making, quality initiatives, and regulatory compliance.
• Serve as the organizational lead for documentation system structure and usage.
• Establish standards for data entry, naming conventions, and workflow consistency.
• Audit system data to ensure accuracy, completeness, and compliance.
• Promote uniform system practices across all programs and departments.
• Develop and maintain agency procedures related to service planning, goal development, and outcome tracking.
• Standardize workflows to ensure consistency across programs.
• Collaborate with Quality Assurance leadership on related documentation systems (e.g., medical tracking, logs, incident documentation).
• Update policies in response to regulatory changes or system enhancements.
• Lead cross-departmental workgroups focused on improving system utilization and operational efficiency.
• Conduct internal audits to verify compliance with planning and documentation standards.
• Identify opportunities to streamline workflows and strengthen accountability.

Skills

Person-centered planning

Outcome measurement

Data analysis

Documentation systems

Workflow coordination

Regulatory compliance

Leadership

Job description

Director of Service Planning Quality & Systems Integration

Status: Full-Time

Classification: Exempt

Reports To: Assistant Executive Director, Quality & Compliance

Position Overview

The Director of Service Planning Quality & Systems Integration leads the organization’s strategy for ensuring that service plans, goal development practices, and documentation systems function cohesively and consistently across all programs. This role safeguards the quality, accuracy, and alignment of person-centered planning processes while strengthening the agency’s use of data to guide decisions and maintain regulatory readiness.

Rather than writing service plans or managing day-to-day program operations, this position focuses on building the frameworks, standards, and system structures that enable high-quality planning, reliable documentation, and meaningful outcome measurement across Residential, Day, and Employment services.

Primary Areas of Accountability

• Lead the agency’s committee responsible for goal development practices.
• Define expectations for goal clarity, measurability, and alignment with assessed needs.
• Ensure interdisciplinary teams follow consistent processes when developing or revising goals.
• Review goal quality and ensure goals remain relevant to each person’s desired outcomes.

Coordination of the Service Plan Lifecycle

• Maintain a unified planning calendar covering all service areas.
• Track annual and interim deadlines and ensure preparation begins proactively.
• Coordinate with clinical, behavioral, and program staff to ensure timely completion of assessments, reports, and draft goals.
• Confirm that all materials are accurate, complete, and ready for planning meetings.

Outcome Measurement & Quality Monitoring

• Oversee systems that track progress toward individual goals.
• Analyze outcome data to identify trends, strengths, and areas needing improvement.
• Recommend or direct goal revisions when progress data indicates limited effectiveness.
• Produce outcome reports that support leadership decision-making, quality initiatives, and regulatory compliance.

Systems Stewardship & Data Governance

• Serve as the organizational lead for documentation system structure and usage.
• Establish standards for data entry, naming conventions, and workflow consistency.
• Audit system data to ensure accuracy, completeness, and compliance.
• Promote uniform system practices across all programs and departments.

Policy, Procedure & Workflow Development

• Develop and maintain agency procedures related to service planning, goal development, and outcome tracking.
• Standardize workflows to ensure consistency across programs.
• Collaborate with Quality Assurance leadership on related documentation systems (e.g., medical tracking, logs, incident documentation).
• Update policies in response to regulatory changes or system enhancements.

System Improvement & Internal Workgroup Leadership

• Lead cross-departmental workgroups focused on improving system utilization and operational efficiency.
• Conduct internal audits to verify compliance with planning and documentation standards.
• Identify opportunities to streamline workflows and strengthen accountability.

Key Qualifications & Competencies

• Deep understanding of person-centered planning and goal development.
• Experience with outcome measurement, data analysis, and quality systems.
• Strong knowledge of documentation platforms and system implementation.
• Ability to coordinate complex, multi-step workflows across diverse teams.
• Exceptional organizational, communication, and leadership skills.
• High attention to detail and commitment to regulatory compliance.

Role Impact

The Director ensures that service planning processes are consistent, data-informed, and aligned with agency expectations. By strengthening system integrity and interdisciplinary collaboration, this role directly supports high-quality services, regulatory readiness, and meaningful outcomes for the individuals served.

Equal Opportunity Employer

This organization an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, or disability status.